State education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak announced last week he will step down to take the helm of the Allentown school district. Mr. Zahorchaks resignation is effective May 7, and he will start July 1 in Allentown, the states fourth-largest school district, which has 18,300 students. Mr. Zahorchak, 52, has been the state schools chief since 2005. His boss, Gov. Edward G. Rendell, a Democrat, is barred from running for a third consecutive term this year, meaning Mr. Zahorchak likely would have had to leave his job.
A version of this article appeared in the April 28, 2010 edition of Education Week as Pa. Education Secretary Stepping Down